Naples Geography, from Posillipo to Monte di Procida: West Naples

Naples and surroundings divided into the four cardinal points, with the intention of creating a map of the city of Naples, a "Naples Geography " that will allow you to move from one side of the city to the other to enjoy its landscapes and monuments, we have prepared for you an itinerary in the western area, starting from splendid hill of Posillipo and ends on the enchanting Monte di Procida. Have a good trip!

Our journey to the west of Naples begins in Posillipo, from the Greek Pausylipon, "pause from pain". Posillipo is one of the most beautiful and fascinating neighborhoods in the city of Naples and offers its visitors many attractions. Among these, the Virgiliano Park, one of the largest in the city, is located in a panoramic position overlooking the hill. Here, in an area full of important restaurants, you can enjoy a spectacular landscape as far as the eye can see over the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Pozzuoli.

After an invigorating walk through the Virgilian Park, it will be advisable to go down "to the ground floor", to enjoy the spectacular Posillipino sea. It will be really exciting for you, then, to cool off with a nice bath at Gaiola, also famous for its submerged park. Here you can fully understand why the Ancients loved these places so much. 

And that's why, then, that before leaving the pleasant hill, it will be right to visit the Archaeological Park of Pausylipon, which is accessed through the Grotta di Seiano. Here you can admire the remains of the imperial villa of Pollione and other important vestiges that will allow you to make an interesting journey through time, among Roman matrons, philosophical cenacles and sumptuous banquets. 

And after this dive into the past, let's go back to the present and head to the next stop

After crossing the western border of the Posillipo Hill, go down to Discesa Coroglio and reach Bagnoli, "the guardian of the Campi Flegrei". Famous throughout Italy for its imposing industrial structures now in disuse, Bagnoli offers its visitors numerous attractions. Among these, City of Science is certainly not to be missed, one of the most prestigious scientific museums of the Italian peninsula. Bagnoli also houses two other interesting museum institutions, two goodies for lovers of the genre: the Sea Museum of Naples, which houses numerous memorabilia and testimonies of maritime tradition and the Etruscan Archaeological Museum "De Feis", rich in finds belonging to the "cousins "Etruscans.

For nature lovers, then, a trip to the Crater of the Astroni Nature Reserve, in Agnano, where you can live an exciting experience in contact with nature is truly inevitable. And if you love horse racing, don't miss the Agnano Hippodrome, the largest of the peninsula, also equipped with a beautiful and vast park. 

But let's go back to where we started and walk along the beautiful promenade together, not before, however, having visited the very long concrete pier that will allow you to take a look at what will be your next destinations...

Our walk along the Bagnoli promenade leads us to the beautiful Pozzuoli, which appears majestically lying on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Even ancient Puteoli, an important Roman port, offers tourists and visitors many attractions. First of all its numerous monuments, witnesses of an ancient and prestigious history. Among these, the Flavian Amphitheater stands out, "the Coliseum of Pozzuoli", built by the imperial dynasty of the same name, where citizens could witness fierce Ludi Gladiators and numerous theatrical staging, and the famous Temple of Serapis which, with its lighting at night, it becomes the guiding lighthouse of the Puteolan nights and their fervent nightlife. In reality, the temple was a market (Macellum) that bradyseism has transformed into a spectacular "submerged theater", with a picturesque and mysterious charm.

But after visiting the most important vestiges of the city and having spent a nice evening with friends, between the promenade and the port, go up the slope and go to visit the Solfatara Volcano. Solfatara was a very popular destination in the past centuries, for the naturalistic beauties of the place and for the beneficial power of its waters and its sulphurous gases. Here you can admire an unusual "lunar landscape", dotted with numerous and characteristic fumaroles. And after breathing the "therapeutic Solfatara air" follow us and we reach the last stage together.

And now we continue our journey in the Phlegraean Fields, in search of Beauty and Myth. Following the "wake of the sea" you reach the delightful Arco Felice, a "beautiful passageway", famous for its promenade, for its premises and for the pleasant lake of Lucrino. From here, after a good refreshing swim and a trip to the lake, you can continue along the state road towards Baia, a hamlet in the municipality of Bacoli. Here a visit to the Aragonese Castle, home of the Archaeological Museum of the Campi Flegrei, the mighty structure that dominates the landscape and that will meet you during your trip, is absolutely necessary. Inside, the wonders of the past from Cuma, Pozzuoli and Rione Terra await you.

"A journey into the ancient" which continues with the Archaeological Complex of the Baths of Baia, where you can admire the Temple of Mercury, the temple of Venus and the Nymphaeum of Diana, monuments often depicted by the great artists of the nineteenth century. Your archaeological tour can be enriched with other interesting stages such as the Mirabilis swimming pool and the Sacello degli Augustali, these also located in the Bacolese territory, although, after so much culture, we strongly recommend you, especially during the summer season, to enjoy the sea of ​​Miseno and Miliscola, where golden and super-equipped beaches await you. 

After a nice dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a good ice cream and a tasty aperitif, you will be ready to spend the evening on Monte di Procida, where, after enjoying the typical gastronomic specialties of the place, you can embrace the Gulf of Pozzuoli and Naples from a different angle from that enjoyed by the Virgilian. And from here, travel with your imagination towards the next Neapolitan itineraries...